The Crystal Dagger
by Shamera
Summary: Kaya had been left behind when Ashitaka left the village- but now she's on a journey to look for the boy she considered to be her brother, and will find some interesting facts along the way.


Disclaimer: The same. I claim to be insane, so you can't sue me!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!   
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Okay, one thing YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE READING THIS. Kaya is not really the Princess, she just loves Ashitaka like as a brother. She's a normal girl, but I'm just playing with her character, kays? This is fanfiction- BUT, this is not a Mary Sue. The main story WILL focus on San and Ashitaka. It'll just take a while for it to get there.   
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The Crystal Daggerbr   
by: Shamera   
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"You must marry soon, Princess," The elders of the town had told her. "You are the last of the royal line! The Emishi line will be completely destroyed if you do not! Have you not forgotten how your brother died?"   
dd   
That had been one of the last straws on the camel's back. Princess Kaya did not want to marry, and she was *not* of the last line of royal blood! Her brother had not died, and the Emishi line would not be destroyed- well, everything the elders said was wrong!   
dd   
"You do know that the Elders are right." Kaya's friend Imizu said. She was also one of the three that had been rescused when Kaya's brother Ashitaka had "died". More like cast out and cursed, Kaya thought to herself. "You have to marry soon. You're of proper age, and many in the village seek your hand."   
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"Then they seek a long and hard journey," Kaya said stubbornly. She had grown from the little girl thin as sticks to a proper lady with a aroua of power and confidence around her.   
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Imizu sighed. Trust Kaya to make things so much harder for her. "At least give them a chance. Who knows, maybe you will start to like one of the warriors."   
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"That's a wicked thing to say." Kaya informed Imizu as they walked to the Wise Woman's door. "They are all thinking of only the better of the village. I suppose that it's alright, but still! I have a right and mind too and they can't make me marry whenever they want me to." Mumbling under her breath so she could make sure Imizu didn't hear, she added, "Maybe I won't even marry at all."   
dd   
Pushing in the door on the wise woman, the two girls entered, quieting immediantly. The wise woman was very old now, and a new sucesser was being trained at this very moment, but she was still the one who foretold everyone's fate and destiny.   
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The wise woman looked up, amusement in her eyes. "Princess. Imizu." She greeted, beckoning them to come over. "You came right on time. I have been searching your fates."   
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The two girls looked at each other, shrugged, then sat down cross legged in front of the wise woman. They weren't ones to judge their futures. It was either behave, or not know what to do at all.   
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"Does my fate include *wince* someone else there?" Kaya asked. *Oh please, please, please!* she begged mentally. *I do not want to marry!*   
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The wise woman just smiled and nodded towards her. "Yes, it does. Yours is an interesting fate indeed. Including destiny. It's your destiny to bring the Emishi it's Prince."   
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Kaya sighed. Is that all she was good for? Choosing a husband and having a child? That was so... meaningless to her. A prince- yeah, right. Everyone there were just not right for her. Couldn't anyone respect how she felt? Think about how'd she think? Let her do what she wanted to?   
dd   
"It is not as you may think, though." The wise woman continued. "Many dangers you would face to do this job correctly. Many enemies and twists. Things are never what they seem."   
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Kaya barely heard her. She was busy scowling about her fate.   
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The wise woman turned to Imizu. "You are to protect our princess at all costs. She is one of the last of the royal line. Once our royal line is destroyed, there will be no trouble taking down the Emishi for anyone who knows of our existance and wants to do so."   
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Imizu bowed her head, her black hair falling over her eyes that way.   
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"But Imizu isn't even a warrior," Kaya insisted on pointing out. She stole a glance at her childhood friend. "How can she protect me? And what dangers am I to face?" In truth, Kaya had kept on her skills as a warrior as well. Although the modern world didn't hold for females that could fight, the Emishi were different. All hands that could help were included. Besides, her brother was the one to teach her the skills of a bow and arrow.   
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"Many things indeed. Not everything depends on the bow and arrow now." The wise woman chided. She rolled a dark obsidan stone across the red mat, watching as it bumped into the gold stone in the middle of the protective circle and made the gold stone hit the other black stone. The scene was played out in her head only.   
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"What is it?" Kaya asked impatiently. She leaned forward, trying to get a better view of the stones. Frowning, Kaya could see that something major must have happened somewhere in her fate.   
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"A bad omen." The wise woman replied. Calmly, she told up the black obsidian stone and place it in her pocket. "But nothing to worry about. You will complete your destiny. Both of you." Giving them a soft smile, she continued, "Princess Kaya, would you allow me to tell you of your fate?"   
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"Yes." Kaya breathed. Though she was scared about what might happen, she knew that the wise woman would not tell her of her exact fate, but of the choices she had. "Do tell me."   
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"You must issue a challenge to your suiters. Say whatever pleases you, whatever you think would be the least likely to happen. I have heard of the fall of the Great God in the west. You are to see what has happened and return back. By the time you return, you shall be a queen." The old lady shook her head. "In many leads, you would be considered as dead to us, but I will make an exception this one time. You are on a quest, a journey of learning. Take whoever you think will help you the most."   
dd   
Kaya nodded, wondering about her words.   
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"Do all this as quickly as possible. The Emishi are looking for a queen." With that, the wise woman started to get up, picking up her stones along the way.   
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The princess bit her lip, then also got up and left the room. She could hear Imizu after her. There wasn't really much to say.   
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"Kaya!" Imizu called. "I'm going with you."   
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Kaya turned to her friend to study her and see if she was serious or not. "You can't go, old friend. The wise woman told me to only pick the ones I want to go."   
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"You do not want me to go?" Imizu accused. She held her ground and looked her princess evenly in the eye. "I hate to use our friendship against us, but you can't get me to not go. Besides, the wise woman also said for me to protect you as much as I could."   
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Kaya glared at the girl with long legs, short black hair, different colored eyes and a pug nose. She wasn't considered pretty at all, but her high spirit was one the village admired most. And when she made up her mind, she wasn't going to change it.   
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But then, it was the same with Kaya.   
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"No." She said firmly. "I'm ordering you to stay. Now, I have to issue a challenge to the suiters and tell the elders about this quest. I want you to stay right here and take care of the boys." She relaxed just the slightest bit. "You have to keep them from getting into trouble. There have been samerai around here for the past few days. You have to keep an eye to be sure that no one even knows of our existance yet."   
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Imizu was about to retort when Kaya just turned and walked away towards the elders house. She knew that if a princess ordered, then it would be final. No matter what she did. If Imizu disobeyed that order, then she could be considered as an outcast. Some gifts that Kaya had never wanted.   
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Imizu just stood there, fuming. Take care of the boys! They could take care of themselves. But then, the wise woman had said something about people knowing of the Emishi's existance. Reluctantly, she back away to one of the watchtowers and checked on the weapon supply.   
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Somehow, both the girls had gotten one or two of the wise woman's words wrong.   
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***   
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"A challenge to those who seek my hand!" Kaya yelled through the crowds and watched as they silenced. Not bad, she thought to herself with a small smile.   
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"Anyone who brings me back the crystal dagger I have lost years ago would be the one to win my heart." She announced, knowing that it wasn't true. Even if they got back her crystal dagger, she would not love that person. But still, that was to be an impossible task.   
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Murmurs formed in the crowd of men, perhaps wondering why the princess would judge in a dagger. But still, if it was precious to her, then it could actually win her heart after all.   
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"I have discussed with the elders," She continued, ignoring the crowd. "And I have decided to go on a quest to seek truth in the west. You are to have found the dagger by the time I return." That was what the wise woman must have meant, wasn't it? "I'm assured that the ones who are truely wanting to seek my hand would find the dagger." Yeah right! As much as one could find a Pheonix tooth.   
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But those thoughts were kept only to herself.   
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"I will leave immediantly. Those who are coming with me are Pego, Minoke and Cethama." The three warriors stood behind Kaya as she spoke. "I hope that no more will try to come." Actually, the phrase was supposed to be, 'Imizu, don't you dare try to sneak on this journey with me.'   
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"Moreso," she comtinued, "The wise woman has appointed three villagers to be on lookout. There is danger from the north- one that will not be stopped easily. It is only if the village is near defeat should you send someone to look for me."   
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Kaya could hear Pego, the youngest one behind her, shift impatiently. He was ready to leave at a moment's notice, not caring if she was through with her speech or not. But then, she wanted to leave soon too. She hated long speeches- especially if she had to give them. "I take my leave."   
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Turning with a whirl, Kaya stepped off the "platform" and busied herself packing. There wasn't much to take, actually. One on a journey can't expect to take too much, after all. It was the journey itself that made Kaya excited though. She had barely ever stepped out of Emishi bounderies in fear that someone would find out about her village. It was something that she could not risk. But now she would be able to see the world without fear. It was something that she had been hoping for for a long time. And it was something that she was going to get.   
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"Princess." She turned and saw Imizu there, eyes full of anger but face neutral. "I'm here to give you your status."   
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Kaya tried to smile but found that she could not when she looked into her friend's angry eyes. "Imizu, please understand..." she tried, offering a hand. "I feel differently about the way that you feel, and I know that you would be of more use at the village. You just can't come with me."   
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Imizu ignored her, pulling out a script. "You are to go under the cover of a travelling wonderer. Minoke will be your offical protector. He is to be signed in as your father, and you as a daughter going to seek the hand of who he thinks best. Pego will be your brother, and Cethama your sevant. This way things will not be targeted at you."   
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Kaya frowned. Imizu wasn't listening to her. And besides, who could have thought of an idea as stupid as that? Wasn't a daughter a good kisnapping price? "Imizu," she started again, pulling on her best friend's sleeve when she saw the other girl trying to turn away. She would explain this and get it off her chest whether the other girl liked it or not. "That's fine with me. But I want your promise that you will not come along this journey."   
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Imizu frowned, but said nothing.   
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"We have been friends ever since we were but babes," Kaya continued, wanting to finish before she went. "But we're now 14. We are of age to do what we've always wanted. During the time I had to think before I made the speech, I realized that Ashitaka also travelled west."   
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Imizu gave her friend a look. "We are not to mention the name of the dead prince."   
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"Dead prince! He's my brother, Imizu! I may have obeyed the town laws and not mention his name, but this is where I go on alone. I will do as I want when I want for the next few months. The thing is, Imizu, that I have found a loophole in the Wise Woman's foretelling. If I can bring my brother back, and make him accepted in the village again, then I will be able to escape this curse of marriage at such an age!"   
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"Even if you do not find him dead when he left the village, Prince Ashitaka would be dead by now. His curse would have surely killed him in these four years."   
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"I have faith in him, Imizu. And I can't let you go on this trip because it's so personal to me. The only reason the others are in this trip is because I needed a way to get out of the village- and if it means bringing them with me and me leading them, so be it. Besides," she said with a grin, "They needn't know about my plans."   
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Imizu gave Kaya a worried look. "It does sound better... but I still don't like it. The Wise Woman told me not to leave your side."   
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Kaya shrugged. "I'm ordering you to leave my side, based on our friendship."   
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Imizu's eyes hardened again as she heard that and she turned sharply away, stomping off now that her message was already delivered.   
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Kaya sighed. She knew that Imizu would have followed her anyway had she given the order for her to stay behind. But Imizu knew nothing of fighting, and was a great farmer. The only way to really get her to stay behind was to make that a request based on their friendship. Kaya had never done something like that before, and found that she did not like the feeling.   
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To be continued......   
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Mwa-hahahahahaha.... part one. Damn, I wrote this so long ago. But hey- continuation is NOT a bad thing!   
brSanersa: *crosses arms* Unless you have people who are about to kill you for not finishing OTHER series.... *pointed stare*   
br^^;; Hey, I was busy! Besides, I can't concentrate without other distractions- like a new series!   
brSanersa: You already have another story project with Azzie!   
brBah.... Humbug.   
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Sanersa: *shakes head and turns to audience* Anyway, review please. Shammy's been intolerable without someone telling her about what she's writing.   
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